Hops & Pie will take a big slice out of the next door space to expand

Hops & Pie, the pizza and craft beer palace on Tennyson Street, in Berkeley Park, is taking a huge slice out of the space next door, the square footage of which will more than double the size of Drew and Leah Watson's neighborhood hangout.

"We're putting in an artisan deli, along with a second kitchen, and we're extending the existing bar into the new area," says Drew, noting, too, that the additional 1,400-square-foot space -- large enough to accommodate more than thirty butts -- will also house a ten- to twelve-seat communal table. "We're blowing out a wall, so it'll be one cohesive restaurant, and we'll seat about seventy people total -- we want to keep it small," he adds.

The deli, he notes, will hustle "gourmet artisan sandwiches," along with the opportunity to build-your-own creations. In addition, says Drew, "We'll have more appetizers, add a few more artisan pies, and in the future, we'll start making out own ice cream, too."

The Watsons are hoping to have the addition complete by February, but before then, they're adding a beer engine to the existing bar. "By December, we think we'll have a hand pump for cask beer -- and we'll always have a craft cask available," he says.